Priest
Priests are people presiding a cult or religious order. The most famous priestly figures in Middle-Earth (or Arda) were the King of Númenór, who acted as High-priest of Illuvatar at the númenórean sanctuary of Meneltarma and his successors, the Kings of Arnor and Gondor (with it´s sanctuary, the white Tree) and Sauron, the High-priest and self-proclaimed steward of Melkor. There were also priests or similar classes among the Idol-worshiping peoples of the East and South and the Sauronites, the worshipers of Sauron, his Sorcerers. Also many Wise, Witches and Necromancers of the Wild Men certainly acted as priests among their tribes. Additionally Orders and Guilds committed to the service and veneration of the Valar could be interpreted as priests, most prominent among these were the Artanor and Yavannildi. However formal religion was largely uncommon in the Westlands and even the members of quasi-religious fraternities saw themselves as secular orders rather than official clergy. Priest-like figures of Renown *Agaldor *Aragorn Elessar *Elendil the Tall *Elros Tar-Minyatur *Ghân-buri-Ghân *king of the Dead *Manwe *Melian of Doriath *the Mouth of Sauron *Sauron *Ulfast Notes As an interesting fact Professor Tolkiens early Quenya Wordlists give us names for Professions such as monk (Q. "Anustar" or "Anuon",pl. monks Q. "I-air’ anūre" or Gol."Gomodron"), nun (Q."Qindelis" or "Quindestin" pl. Q."i·aira quinde" or "quinne"), monastery (Q."Anusta"), convent (Q."Qindesta") and even Christian (!) missionary (Q."Evandl").However as this vocabulary was intended to come from a time in which the last fading Elves were contemporaries of the early christians (what would later become the sixth Age) and thus must not necessarily refer to terms from the Elves own culture, but may well refer to cultural practices among mortal men the Elves had witnessed and named in their own language.The same might be true for terms like temple (Q."Corda"), idol (Q."Cordon") and shrine (Q."Alkar(in)). Roleplaying The Priest is a playable profession in Rolemaster.The MERP profession Animist is also alternatively known as "Priest". Similar Professions in Rolemaster are: Animist, Cleric, Cultist, Dervish, Druid, Elemental Priest, Monk, Mysthic, Religious Dissident, Mythic, Shaman, Shaman Alchemist, Sohei, Taoist Monk, Templar, Theocratist, Warrior-Monk, Witch-Hunter, Yamabushi, Zen Monk. Additional priestal professions in MERP are: Monk and Warrior-Monk. Examples *Akshum-oymalv (Wainriders) *Aldena Priests *Arambarlie or Arthadan Monks *Ataarn Katasharn (Ky'taari) *Holy Men of the Dead (Gondor) *Derudh (Dunlendings) *Drel priestesses (Drel people) *Drughân (Drúedain) *Easterling War Priests (Lôke Egleria) *Elven Anustar or Qindelis *Enbalmers (Dúnedain, Black númenóreans) *Estehildi (Elves, Dúnedain) *Fire-priests of Chey *Gabbanaz or Tayé-Loremasters (Sîrayn) *Gauredain Wolf-Mystics *Gildain or Star-Priests (Eldar and Númenoreans *Gomodronath (Umanyar) *Gora (Beffraen) *Hagril (Mûmakani) *Hakalû (Danak) *Hands of Anorel (Hathorians) *Haradrim Tribal Shamans *Haruze Haladi *Holy Teachers of the Vatracin (Harad) *Hûriga of the Asdriags *Justice Priest (Enedwaith) *Keepers of the true flame (Harad) *Keryalin (Bôzishnarûd) *Lanareki (Covshek-Pust) *Lawmasters (farthest East) *Mhaig (Daen) *Modrog (Dônaen) *Monks of Ereg Eiren (Seven Lands) *Monks of Mor Tarain (Seven Lands) *Necromantic Priests (Black númenóreans) *Nûm-Raghke-priests (Honnin) *Ônu (Honnin) *Opathag (Odhriags) *Orcish mages and shamans or Dushi *Pel-High-Priestesses *Priest of the Barrow-downs *Priestesses of Joghul (Odhriags) *Priestesses of Kesht or Seers of truth (Near-Harad) *Priests of Dol Guldur or Guldur Sorcerers (Kishothi) *Sangemekh or Song-mother (Chayasir) *Sauronite Templemaster *Selli Niennava (Elves, Dúnedain) *Servants of the real fire *Sianwin (Daen) *Sisters of nightsong (Haradrim) *Tayb or Followers of the silent one *Ulmedain or Water-Monastics (Eldar and Númenoreans) *Urd Priestesses (northern Peninsula) *Vadanic priestesses (Wainriders) *Vara-na (Adena) *Vracarathí (Variags) *the watchers of Karna (Haradrim) *Wegech (Hillmen) *Witches of Angmar *Wôlor Priests (farthest East) Category:Classes Category:Orders